Electric time-switch.



G. E. MORDEN & J. L. CHAPMAN.

' ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 11.31, 1913.

1,079,791. Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

2 SHBETS*SHBET 1.

awwemtozs George E. Morden & qvflmeowo James L Chapman G. E. MORDEN 8: JLL. CHAPMAN.

' ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1913.

1,079,791. Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Suvamtozs George E .Mor den James L .Chapmafl Mn human UNITED .srArEs PATENT oFFIoE.

seems a. onnnn, or nnraorr, AND JAMES L. CHAPMAN, or ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRIC TIME-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Application filed March 31, 1913. Serial No. 7 57,982.

lowing to be a full, clear, and exact descrip-' tion of the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in electric time switches.

One object of the invention is to provide an electric time switch by means of which an electric circuit may be automatically and instantly broken and completed at any desired time,

Another object is to provide a switch of this character having an improved construction and arrangement of setting mechanism whereby the switch operating devices may be readily set at the desired positions.

A further object is to provide an electric time switch which will be simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction, efficient and reliable in operation and which may beapplied to a clock of the usual construction. 7

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figural is a face View of a clock having our improved switch applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a front View of a portion of the works with the dial and hands of the clock removed;

Fig. 3 is a to plan view of a portion of the Works and o the switch mechanism; Fig. 4 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the non-conducting switch actuating cam of the device; Fig. 6 is a similar view of the contact or conducting cam of the device; Fig. 7 is a similar view of the setting arm for the non-conducting trip cam shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a similar view of the setting arm for the contact or conducting disk;

Fig. 9 is a similar View of the switch and contact levers and the block of insulation to which they are attached.

In the present embodiment of the invention the same is shown as. being applied to a clock having a twenty-four hour dial D and on which the numbers are arranged to indicate twelve hours A. M. and twelve hours P. M. The clock is provided with the usual construction of works W comprising the hour wheel to which is fixed on the shaft S of the hour hand H. The hour hand shaft Sis of the usual tubular construction and revolves on the minute hand shaft m which is of the usual construction and has fixed on its outer end the usual minute hand M. Fixed on the outer end of the hour hand shaft S is a setting dial .1 which is of considerably less diameter than the main dial of the clock and which is disposed and adapted to revolve in a circular opening 2 formed in the main dial as shown. The diameter of the opening 2 is greater than the diameter of the setting dial 1 so that a narrow annular space is formed between the adjacent edges of the dial 1 and the openin 2 in the main dial. The dial 1 is graduate to indicate twenty-four hours and the hours are numbered from 1 to 12 A. M. and from 1 to 12 P. M., said numbers, however, being arranged just the reverse'from those shown in the main dial. Thehour spaces on the setting dial are divided into quarters or have therein fifteen minute graduations and opposite each of said graduations the dial is perforated or provided with a small slot 3,

the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

Loosely mounted on the hour hand shaft is a sleeve t of insulating or non-conducting material on the inner end of which is a tripping cam 5 which is also formed of non-conducting material and preferably in the form of a spiral or snail'disk as shown, Loosely mounted on the sleeve 4: of the tripping cam is a sleeve 6- of suitable metal, and on the inner end of said sleeve 6 is fixed a contact or current conducting cam 7 which is of the .samesha e but of metal and may, if desired, be plate or tipped with platinum or both plated and tipped with platinum.

Secured to the clock works is a bracket or block 8 of insulation, tothelower side of which is preferably formedin two sections hing-.

edly connected at their inner ends as at 10.

The free end of the'inner sectionis held in positive and continuous contact or engagement with'the sleeve 6 by a spring 11 which is preferably formed of wire and has one end secured to the stationary or fixed outer section of the lever and its opposite end bent to form a hook 12 which is engaged with said inner section.

Secured to the upper side of the blockS is a contact lever 13 which is also, formed in two sections hingedly connected at their inner ends as shown at 14. The end of the inner section of the lever is beveled and flattened and held in yielding engagement with the cams 5 and 7 by a coiled spring 15, one end of which is firmly secured to the stationary outer section of the lever while the opposite end of the spring bears on the upper side of the inner section of the lever as shown. The flattened and beveled'free end of the hinged section of the lever 13 is sub stantially as wide as the combined thickness of the two disks 5 and 7. 'It will be noted that the tripping cam 5 is somewhat larger or has a greater cam surface than the contact cam and it will also beseen that by adjusting these cams to bring their cam surfaces out of alinement or at different positions the end of the contact lever 13 will be in engagement with one of the disks during part of the revolution of the latter and in engagement with the other disk during the remainder of the revolution. The periods during which the end of thelever rests upon one or the other .of said disks may be varied by turning thecams more or less out .of alinement or to different positions so that the contact lever will drop from the cam surface of the current conducting cam onto the nonconducting or trip cam at one time to break the circuit, and at a subsequent time will drop from the n0n-conducting cam onto the contact cam to again complete the circuit, although at no time will the current be carried through the clock train or its spring.

The disks 5 and are adjusted to bring their cam surfaces into position for breaking and completing the circuit at the desired,

time by setting devices one of which is provided for each of said disks. The setting device for the non-conducting cam comprises an arm 16 the inner end of which is secured to a collar 1'? of non-conducting material removably fastened on the outer end of the sleeve 4 against the outer end of the sleeve 6 by a set screw 18 or other suitable fastening means. On the outer end of the arm 16 is a right angular forwardly extending finger 19 which projects through the annular space between the setting dial 1 and the edge of the opening 2 in the main dial and provides the means whereby the arm 16 may be shifted to turn the non-conducting cam to the desired position. Also arranged on the outer end of the arm 16 and extending forwardly at right angles thereto and parallel with the finger 19 isa setting pin 20 which is adapted to be engaged with one of the perforations or slots 3 in the setting dial opposite to the hour that it is desired to close the electric circuit. i

The setting device for the contact cam comprises a collar 21 of non conducting material which is engaged with the end of the contact sleeve 6 and is secured thereto by a set screw 22. Secured to the collar 21 is a radially extending arm 23, the outer end of which is bent forwardly at right angles to form an operating finger 2 1 which projects through the annular space between they set ting dial 1 and the edge of the opening in the main dial and provides the means whereby this arm and the contact cam are adjusted. Also formed on the arm 23is a forwardly projecting setting pin 25 which is adapted to be engaged with one of the perforations or slots 3 in the setting dial. It will be noted that the arms 16 and 23 of the nonconducting trip cam and the contact cam are secured to the sleeves of these cams in .line with the end of the cam surfaces or widest 'part of the cam disk so that, when the pins on said arms are engaged with the perforations or slots 2 of any particular hour or fraction of an hour on the setting disk, the end of the cam or widestpart of the cam disk will be-disposed'in line with the time indicated. By this arrangement let us assume' that the clock stands at noon and it is desired to close the electric circuit at 5 oclock P. M. and to break the circuit at 12 oclock at night. The pin of the operating'arln of the non-conducting or trip cam 5 will be engaged with the slot opposite the 5 oclock graduation on the P. M. side of the setting dial, while the pin of the operating arm for the contact disk will be engaged with the slot or perforation opposite the hour of 12 midnight on the setting dial as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. lVhen the parts have thus been set the cams will be locked to the setting dial and will be turned thereby as this dial is carried around by the hour hand shaft so that when the hour of 5 P. M. is reached by the hour hand on the main dial of the clock; the end of the cam or widest part of the non-conducting disk will be brought beneath the free end of the contact lever thus permitting the latter to again drop onto the non-"conducting cam thereby breaking circuit at this time. The end of the contact lever will remain in engagement with the non-conducting disk until the hour of 5 P. M. is again reached by the hour hand of the clock at which time the end of the cam projection of the non-conducting dish Will again be brought from beneath the end of the contact lever which will again drop onto the contact cam and complete the circuit. This operation of, the parts will be successively repeated every twenty four hours or until the adjustment of the parts has been changed. Meanwhile, and without interrupting the electrical contact hetween the lever 13 and the disk 7, if it be desired to break the circuit temporarily the tip of the lever 9 may be raised out of contact with the sleeve 6. 'This possibility is useful, for instance, in a sign Where the light displayed is to he scintillating or is designed to be luminous in pulsations, when suitable mechanism will be provided to lift said lever 9 at intervals However, this detail forms no part of the'present invention and is therefore not illustrated or elaborated; I merely wish to emphasize the point that one lever travels on the edges of the cams while the other travels on the sleeve 6, and the material of which said cams are composed regulates the opening and closing of the circuit so that the sleeve and the other lever are normally in constant contact.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the. construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation,-

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In an electric time switch, the comhination with a clock train including the hour hand shaft, a set-ting dial carried by said shaft and having openings adjacent its numbers, and the main dial surrounding said setting dial; of a snail cam of non-conducting material, a sleeve of non-conducting material connected with said cam and mounted on said shaft, a setting arm projecting from said sleeve and carrying a pin adapted to engage with one of said openingsin the setting dial; a snail cam of metal mounted on said sleeve next the first-named cam, a sleeve also of metal mounted on the first-named sleeve and connected with the metal cam, a setting arm projecting from this sleeve and carrying a pin adapted to engage with one of said openings in the set ting dial; a current conducting lever, means for holding it in constant yieldingcontact with said metal sleeve, a contact lever whose tip overlies the edge of both said cams, and yielding means for holding it in contact with whichever edge is highest.

2. In an electric time switch, the combination with a clock train including the hour hand shaft, a setting dial carried by said shaft, and the main dial surrounding said setting dial and separated therefrom to leave an annular space between them; of a snail cam of non-conducting material, a sleeve of non conducting material connected with said cam and mounted on said shaft, a collar of non-conducting material carried by said sleeve, a setting arm projecting from said collar and carrying a finger projecting into said space; a snail cam of metal mounted on said sleeve next the first-named cam, a sleeve also of metal mounted on the first-named sleeve and connected with the metal cam, a collar carried by said sleeve next inside the firstnamed collar, a setting arm projecting from this collar and carrying a finger prO ecting into said space; a current conducting lever, means for holding it in constant yielding contact with said metal sleeve, a contact lever whose tip overlies the edges of both said cams, and yielding means for holding it in contact with Whichever edge is highest.

3. In an electric time switch, the combination with a clock train including the hour hand shaft, a setting dial carried by said shaft and having openings adjacent its numbers, and the main dial surrounding said setting dial and separated therefrom to leave an annular space between them; of a snail cam of non-conducting material, a sleeve of non conducting material connected with said cam and mounted on said shaft, a col lar of non-conducting material carried by said sleeve, a set screw in the collar engagin said shaft, a setting arm projecting from said collar and-carrying a finger progecting into said space and a pin adapted to engage with one of said openings in the setting dial; a snail cam of metalmounted on said sleeve next the first-named cam, a sleeve also of metal on the first-named sleeve and connected with the metal cam, a collar carried by said sleeve next inside the first-named collar, a set screw through this collar against said metal sleeve, a setting arm projecting from this collar and carrying a finger projecting into said space and a pin adapted to engage with one of said openings in the setting dial; a current conducting lever, means for holding it in constant yielding contact with said metal sleeve, a Contact lever Whose tip overlies theiedges of both said cams, and yielding means for holding it in contact with whichever edge is highest.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our. hands-in presence of two subscrib- 111g witnesses.

GEORGE E. MORDEN. JAMES L. CHAPMAN.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. MCDOUGALL, CHRISTINE WAHL. 

